Fire extinguisher



NOV. 8, i932: W` R1 RQLLQ FIRE EXTINGUISHER Filed Aug. l9. 1929 @ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 8, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT ori-*ICE WALTER R. ROLLO, OFUTCA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN LA FRANCE AN'D FOAMITE CORPORATION,OF 'UTICIA, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE EXTINGUISHER Theinvention relates to the type of fire extinguisher which consists of acontainer` having provision for holding liquid and dry ingredientsunmixed, and which is set in action in time otre by bringing theingredients together to produce the extinguishing medium. t

Its object is anv extinguisher of this type, easily and inexpensivelycharged, and organizedv to. ensure certainty and: greater .etticiencyof-operation, accomplished by the provision of means, hereinexemplified` in preferred form, whereby the dry `or powder ingredient isprotected against the action of the liquid'while the extinguisher isidle and whereby in time of ire .the entire 'body of powder isintroduced intol and thoroughly nixed with the liquidvwith a minimum ofe ort.l

the invention applied to a two and one-halt gallon extinguisher of thesofcalledrinverti- -ble type,'Fig.-2 the application of thelsame form ofthe invention to an' extinguisher of .the non-invertible type and. Fig.3 a ,detail ofthe form shown in F ig. A'1.

InFig. 1 the extinguisher comprises a container l having a collar 2atits upper end threaded to receive the closure cap 3 and having itsbottom 4L spaced somewhat Cfrom the lower end of the container wall, asusual, toprovide a skirt 5 onwhich the extinguisher stands. The collaris providedl 'With an annular fiange which supports and to whichissecured a sleeve 7 ,-asby-a similar'lange 8 on the'sleeve, the lattert'erminatingshort of into the container. Y.

ticular ingredients are of no moment to the invention it is'preferredthat the dry element ,consists of a mixture of powdered soda, aluminumsulphate and licorice root such asis known to the trade, -and whichsimply requires to be mixed with water to produce foam. It will beunderstood that all of theV dry owders constituting the charge need notbemlxed-together although-for simplicity of" re-charging, as belowdescribed, it is prefferred that they be so mixed and that the contamerhold water only. In any event it is important that the powder' not onlybe kept out of direct contact with the liquid in the container until#the extinguisheris to be used butfalsopthat it besealed against vapor ormoisture, which would bring about premature reactioIliO the ingredientsand render -them'inetective for use in time ,of fire. The powder may bevariously protected and y as may be best` suited to the particularextinjguisher but inthe preferred form hereshown .thefpowder compartmentis closed by a transverse-plate ordisc 2,9 which is secured to a plungerrod 10 rand which ist grooved, astindicated at. 1,1, to receive theside-walls of the compartment.v The `joint may be sealed by a gasket, orotherwise, so that when the Y t plunger rodis in the position shown thepow- In the yaccompanying drawing, Fig. l shows `bottom of the.container, passing through a .suitable gland 12 andservingto connectplate 9 with an external operating handle 13. The latter is protected byskirt 5 and being located: approximately at .the door level is preventedvfrom moving ,outwardsand break- ,right r S`t1`l I.1}` :AS furtherPrecautionarprpriate means may be provided, if desired,

p to lock-thehandle or vplunger in this position; -aSfShQWn nlgs [l and3', thihandle 13 may the cap at its upper end and extending down bemountediloosely on the plunger as a turn I Y 2 button, aystrapl'lafextending across the open The space within the sleeve constitutesthe powder compartment and-although the par-- end of the containerbottom serving to hold the handle and plunger against outward movementand maintain the powder compartment'hermetically sealednuntil thehandleis turned and operated, as will be understood.

-ing tlieseal oft' the powder compartment so .1011s @TS the'extinguisher maintains its 11plvO ` ingredients.

Rod 10 extends upwardly through the powder compartment and' at its upperend, which is adjacent cap 3, carries an ejector member by which thepowder is positively transferred from its compartment into the body ofthe container. 'Ihe ejector -may be variously constructed for thispurpose .but preferablyconsists of a plate 15 whichconstitutes an upperend wallfor the powderl compartment, although, asindicated, it is smallenough to slide freely through the compartmentwhen the plunger isoperated;

Elbow 16 constitutesthe outlet to the usual hose and nozzle 17 but whenthe extinguisher is charged for foam production the inner end of theelbow may be enclosed by a box 18 from which an outlet pipe 1,9 extendsto the other end of the container, so that foam, which forms morereadily in the upper part of the chamber, will be discharged and not theliquid itself. v

To set the extinguisher in action, the container is inverted and the nowexposed operating handle is released and pumped back and forth. Thefirst stroke of the plunger breaks the hermetic seal andI by means ofplate 15 carries the mass of 'powder'out of its compartment into theliquid and'on succeeding strokes plates 9 and l5 operate -t'o distributethe powder' throughout the liquid', agitate the same and effect athorough mixing of the It will be understood that the handle does nothave to be pumped throughout the entire period'of activity of the"extinguisher,since its purpose is merely torelease thedry ingredient-sfrom their sealed compartmentand mix' them with the'liquid'thejresulting extinguishing medium being expelled by the pressureofthe gas generatedby the reaction; L L

The extinguisher is recharged byreturning the plunger to its initialposition, to close the powderI compartment, removing cap 3 and ejectorplate 1,5l and introducing a fresh batchl of VpoWder, the liquid beingadded thiiughthe filler opening` in the container wa Many of theparts-already described will 'j be recognized in the form of Fig. 2,inwhich the upper end of sleeve 20, which constitutes the powdercompartment, is secured to the inside of the container cap and closed byit. As stated above, this extinguisher is designed for operation withoutinversion and accordingly the plunger rodv extends upwardly through agland in the cover instead of downwardly through the bottom of thecontainer as in the previous form. .As before, the rod carries plates 9and 15 which respectively close the lower end of the compartment andeject the powder from itA when the plunger is operated-in this case froman upper, extended position down into the container.

The action is in all respects similar to that already described.

In this case, the outlet elbow 16 may open directly through thecontainer cap where it is always above the level of the liquid.

To permit access to the powder compartment for refilling the manner ofsecuring plates 9 and 15 to rod 10 is reversed, ejector plate 15 beingpermanently secured to the rod and plate 9 attached to it by a lock nut.v As will be apparent, this extinguisher is recharged by removing andinverting cap 3 and detaching plate 9, the plunger being pulled out toits fully extended position so as to draw the ejector plate to the innerend of the compartment and permit of its being refilled. As in theprevious form the plunger may be locked in inactive position, the meanshere shown vcomprising a latch 21 pivotedv on the gland nut 22 andarranged to enter a notch in the plunger rod 10.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. In a fire extinguisher, the combination of a liquid container, apowder compartment therein adapted to hold dry foam making ingredientsnormally out of contact with the liquid, andmeans for setting theextinguisher in action including an external operating handle,connections therefrom to the interior of the'container and meansassociated therewith for coincidently introducing the powder to andmixing the same with the liquid.

2. Ihe combination in a lire extinguisher of a liquid container, apowder compartment Vtherein arranged to hold the powder normally out ofcontact with the liquid, and means for setting the extinguisher inaction including an external operating handle, connections therefrom tothe interior of the con tainer and positive ejector means for the powderassociated therewith, said ejector means acting to transfer the powder.from said compartment into the liquid and constituting an agitatortherefor.

3. The combination as set forth in the .-preceding claim, in which saidconnections and ejector means comprise a plunger rod and a transverseplate member secured thereto, said rod being of suiiicient length topermit movement of the plate into the liquid.

4. In a lire extinguisher, the combination of a liquid container, amovable powder supporting device arranged normally to hold dryingredients out of contact with and sealed against vapors from theliquid, an vexternal operating handle and connections therefrom to saiddevice for agitating the same in and throughout the liquid, saidcontainer having a fixed outlet and attached nozzle for directing thedischarge independently of the position of said handle.

5. In a lire extinguisher the combination of a liquid container, apowder compartment therein comprising a fixed side wall and top lll andbottom walls movable relatively thereto, said compartment arranged tohold dry ingredients out of contact with the liquid, an externaloperating handle and means connecting said top and bottom walls witheach other and with said handle, for the purpose described.

6. In a fire extinguisher of the kind described, the combination of aliquid container and a powder compartment, means for sealing thecompartment, and means, including an external handle, operable torelease said sealing means to discharge the powder into the liquid andcoincidently to agitate the same.

7. In a fire extinguisher of the kind described, the combination of aliquid container, a closure cap therefor, a powder compartment havingone end sealed by said cap, and mixing means having an externaloperating handle, said means connected therewith inside the containerand arranged to seal the other end of said compartment.

8. In a iire extinguisherhaving a liquid container and a powdercompartment therein adapted to hold dry foam making ingredients normallyout of contact with the liquid, a rod extending through the powdercompartment and substantially throughout the length of the liquidcontainer, an external operating handle for reciprocating the rod and amixer operated by said rod.

9. In a fire extinguisher, the combination set forth in claim l in whichsaid connections include an elongated rod normally positioned within thecontainer and extending into the liquid and adapted to be reciprocatedby said handle to set the extinguisher in action.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

WALTER R. ROLLO.

